“‘The bad days have come…’1Compare Ecclesiastes 12:1. – these are the days of old age.”2See Shabbat 151b. My thoughts are disorganized. It is hard for me to concentrate and answer a difficult question: [How] to destroy the [evil] urge, [i.e.,] wage the war for which we were created to fight. There is no order in this battle. There is no guarantee. Learn a lot of Mussar when you can. Days devoted to [Mussar] are needed according to the codes,3Sifrei HaPoskim – lit. “The Books of the Decisors.” for a person is destined for judgment, whether for life [or death].
With what can a servant win favor in the eyes of his master, if not with a broken heart – which the Lord will not scorn4Compare Psalms 51:19. – stemming from a source of great application to books of reverence, through pouring out the soul to God, blessed be His name? If a person will do this, he will live. Even after the days of judgment pass, the effects of Mussar will beat on [in his mind and heart]. The sense of obligation to learn [Mussar] will burn on in a heart aflame – to hold onto it without weakening. Your friend, who blesses you for “a good year.”
Something that embodies much of the element of fire, even when the fire is not visible, will ignite and become inflamed with one spark. So although I am in no condition to write at length, I hope that these brief words will remind you and awaken in you what I preached [at length] before to your excellencies. Certainly, those words entered deeply into your hearts: to go to the House of Mussar, especially during the Ten Days of Repentance, and learn Mussar with emotional enthusiasm (hitpaalut), and also with prayer, which is better done with a group of ten (see Taanit 8a – “This case [refers to] prayer in a congregation [which will not be rejected by God]…”), so the inward awakening will overcome all opposition.
בָּאוּ יְמֵי הָרָעָה אֵלּוּ יְמֵי הַזִּקְנָה, רַעְיוֹנַי בִּלְתִּי מְסֻדָּרִים, כָּבֵד לְפָנַי לָתֵת לֵב לְהָשִׁיב בִּשְׁאֵלָה כְּבֵדָה, לְבַעֵר הַיֵּצֶר אֲשֶׁר נוֹצַרְנוּ לִלְחֹם מִלְחַמְתּוֹ, אֵין סֵדֶר בַּמִּלְחָמָה, וְאֵין בִּטָּחוֹן, הַרְבּוֹת בְּמוּסָר בְּעֵת מְצוֹא — יָמִים הַמְקֻדָּשִׁים לָהּ שׁוּמָה מִסִּפְרֵי הַפּוֹסְקִים, בִּהְיוֹת הָאָדָם מֵעֻתָּד לְמִשְׁפָּט אִם לְחַיִּים כוּ':—
“‘The bad days have come…’1Compare Ecclesiastes 12:1. – these are the days of old age.”2See Shabbat 151b. My thoughts are disorganized. It is hard for me to concentrate and answer a difficult question: [How] to destroy the [evil] urge, [i.e.,] wage the war for which we were created to fight. There is no order in this battle. There is no guarantee. Learn a lot of Mussar when you can. Days devoted to [Mussar] are needed according to the codes,3Sifrei HaPoskim – lit. “The Books of the Decisors.” for a person is destined for judgment, whether for life [or death].
וּבַמֶּה יִתְרַצֶּה הָעֶבֶד אֶל אֲדוֹנָיו, אִם לֹא בְּלֵב נִשְׁבָּר, אֲשֶׁר הָאֱלֹהִים לֹא תִּבְזֶה, הַנוֹדָע מִמְּקוֹר שְׁקִידָה הַגְּדוֹלָה בְּסִפְרֵי הַיְרֵאִים, בִּשְׁפִיכַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ לַד' יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ — אִם כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה הָאָדָם וָחַי, גַּם לְאַחַר עֲבוֹר יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁפָּט, עוֹד רִשְׁמֵי הַמּוּסָר יִדֻפְּקוּ — חִיּוּב לִמּוּדָהּ תִּבְעַר בְּלֵב נִלְבָּב, לְהַחֲזִיק בָּהּ בְּאֵין רִפְיוֹן — יְדִידָם הַמְבָרְכָם לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה:
With what can a servant win favor in the eyes of his master, if not with a broken heart – which the Lord will not scorn4Compare Psalms 51:19. – stemming from a source of great application to books of reverence, through pouring out the soul to God, blessed be His name? If a person will do this, he will live. Even after the days of judgment pass, the effects of Mussar will beat on [in his mind and heart]. The sense of obligation to learn [Mussar] will burn on in a heart aflame – to hold onto it without weakening.
Your friend, who blesses you for “a good year.”
דָּבָר הַמַּחֲזִיק בְּקִרְבָּהּ הַרְבֵּה מִיסוֹד הָאֵשׁ, הֲגַם כִּי הָאֵשׁ אֵינוֹ נִכָּר, אַךְ עַל יְדֵי נִיצוֹץ אֵשׁ תִּתְלַקַּח וְתִתְלַהֵב, כֵּן הֲגַם כִי אֵין מַצָּבִי עַתָּה לְהַאֲרִיךְ בִּדְבָרִים, בְּכָל זֹאת הַתִּקְוָה כִּי בִּדְבָרִים קְצָרִים, יַזְכִּירוּ וְיִתְעוֹרְרוּ, אֶת אֲשֶׁר דָּרַשְׁתִּי לִפְנֵי כְּבוֹדְכֶם מִכְּבָר, אֲשֶׁר בֶּטַח נִכְנְסוּ הַדְּבָרִים בְּעֹמֶק לְבָבָם, לֵילֵךְ לְבֵית הַמּוּסָר וּבִפְרָט בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת יְמֵי תְּשׁוּבָה, לִלְמֹד מוּסָר בְּהִתְפַּעֲלוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, וְגַם הַתְּפִלָּה אֲשֶׁר יוֹתֵר טוֹב בַּעֲשָׂרָה (עַיֵּן תַּעֲנִית ח' כָּאן בְּצִבּוּר וְכוּ') וְהַהִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַפְּנִימִי יִתְגַּבְּרוּ עַל כָּל הַהִתְנַגְּדוּת:—
Something that embodies much of the element of fire, even when the fire is not visible, will ignite and become inflamed with one spark. So although I am in no condition to write at length, I hope that these brief words will remind you and awaken in you what I preached [at length] before to your excellencies. Certainly, those words entered deeply into your hearts: to go to the House of Mussar, especially during the Ten Days of Repentance, and learn Mussar with emotional enthusiasm (hitpaalut), and also with prayer, which is better done with a group of ten (see Taanit 8a – “This case [refers to] prayer in a congregation [which will not be rejected by God]…”), so the inward awakening will overcome all opposition.